Glove smoothing and stretching machine



T. G. BOLDIZZONI 2,566,552

GLOVE SMOOTHING AND STRETCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. TE BALDO BOLDEZZON BY q/aM/u/v %fi ATTORNEY Sept. 4, 1951 Original Filed May 29, 1945 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 GLOVE'SMOOTHING AND STRETCHIN MACHINE .Tcobaldo G. Boldizzoni, New York, NY.

Original application May 29, "1945, Serial 'No. 596,456, now Patent No. 2,511,455, dated June 13, 1950. Divided and this application June 9, 1945, Serial No. 598,582 1 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in glove-smoothing and stretching devices, and especially to a device which, with a minimum of manual operations, accomplishes a perfect smoothing and also, if necessary, the ironing of a great number of gloves in little time and at small cost.

Hitherto the glove had to be smoothed-manually by inserting into it two separate half forms and driving a wedge therebetween. These manual operations are not only strenuous and costly in time and labor but also the results are not sufficlently uniform; repetition is required. This makes manual stretching inaccurate, if not impractical, especially for inexpensive gloves.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which is simple and easy to operate, even by inexperienced labor. The output is of uniformly high quality and costs less'per unit than the result of the manual process.

A specific object of this invention is a glovesmoothing and stretching device containing a horizontal base; a glove form projects therefrom and consists of separable portions capable when brought together of receiving a glove thereon. Means are provided for mounting at least one of said portions on said base movable with respect to another so as to produce a predetermined space therebetween. By increasing this space the glove is stretched. By reducing this space, tension is relaxed and the glove form can be removed and placed in another glove which lstreated in a similar manner.

According to the specific embodiment here disclosed, the form is divided into half portions, one or both of which may be moved. The portions are moved away from one another by being rotated about an axis at their bases. The space formed between the half portions extends preferably vertically upward. The movement of one or both of the half portions of the glove form is accomplished by a vertical upward movement of a wedge inserted in the space between the half portions. The wedge can be driven manually or electromechanically. or preferably by air pressure.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following description thereof which relate to an embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly sectioned, of a glove-smoothing and stretching device embodying certain features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Fig. 1

showing the anchorage of a. glove form on a work- 6 Claims. (01. 22349)" 2. ing table and a rodconnection, for actuating the wedge separating the half portions of the .glove form;

Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Fig, 1, showing the mechanism above. the working table and, in addition, the electric wire connections which are below the table and which servev to feed heater elements contained in the half portions of the glove form;

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5--5 of Fig. 1, showing the mechanism below the working table with the electrical connections omitted therefrom? 1 Fig. 6 is a view of a glove form partly broken away and recesses for the wedge and guide pins;

Fig. 7 is a section along line 'l--l of Fig. 6. This figure shows the wedge in operating position in which the thickness of the fingers of the glove form is increased; and

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 7 except that the wedge is in inoperative position and the thickness of the fingers of the glove form is reduced.

In Fig. 1, I is a table upon which glove form 2v is mounted in an upright position. Glove form 2 consists of half portions 3 and 4 between which a space is formed extending vertically from table I with the distance between the half portions grad ually diminishing. Half portion 3 is rigidly at tached to table I by means of screws 5. Half por-- tionA is hinged pivotally about horizontal axis 6. Axis 6 is supported on flange l which is rigidly attached to table I by means of screws 8. Half portion 4 is formed with a projection ii, the free end of which has attached thereto a compression spring 10 which seats in a recess of flange 1. In this way, half portion 4 can be moved with respect to stationary half portion 3'. The movement is a rotation about axis 6 against the force of spring It to the position shown in dotted lines.

I When a glove is mounted upon glove form 2, finger ironing and especially seam smoothing is accomplished by a pressing device which is more completely described in my copending application Serial No. 596,456, filed May 29, 1945, which matured into Patent No. 2,511,455, June 13, 1950 and of which application the present application is a division.

The pressing device consists of a number of parallel flexible metal strips II, [2 and 13 made of spring steel, phosphor bronze or the like. Strips ll, l2-and I3 are parallel to one another so as to be insertable between the fingers of a glove mounted upon form 2. The strips are rotatable abouthorizontal axis M which is supported between brackets l5. e

Brackets l are attached to table 1 by means of screws l6. Strips ll, I2 and I3 carry pressure elements in the form of flexibly mounted rollers I; these rollers are arranged on each side of the strips in such a way as to smooth the seams of the glove when the strips are rotating about axis I4. The rotation is accomplished by means of a lever l8 which engages the free ends of strips I2 and I3, or as shown in Figs. 1 and 2} the projecting end IQ of a holder to which strips ll, I2 and I3 are attached. Holder 20 is a piece of casting with a slot 2| into which strip I2 is fitted while strips I and I3 can be attached to casting 20 by angle pieces 22. Screws 23 passing through casting 20, stripsii, l2 seals. angle pieces 22 serve to connect strips andliolder' so as to form a relatively rigid unit. Springs 24 are attached at one end to the horizontal flanges of angle pieces 22. The other ends of springs 24 are attached to brackets l5 at points 25. In this way. the upward movement of strips H; [2 and I3 ismade flexible and is caused to occur against the force of expanding springs 24. moved down or'up by cross lever 26 which"- is pivotally hinged at 21 underneath table 1''.

As: explained in my PatentNo. 2,511,455, by the movement of lever 26;. lever Hi andstrips H, I? and:v I3 are: moved and finger-pressing and seam= smoothing operations are performed. The in operative'position of strips I", I2 and I 3 is shown inIdashI-dotted lines at 28; the inoperative positionsof levers lit and 26*- are shown at-29-and 38", respectively.

m accordance with my invention the glove mounted upon form 2=issmoothed by a stretch :1

ing: operation. This accomplishedby driving a wedge in the space between halfportions 3 andA. The wedge is indicated in Fig; 1' at 3|. Its operative movement occurs in vertical direc; tion under the: control: of: vertical rod 32' which engages the: bottom end of: the; wedge through a; flexible springcoupling 33'; Vertical= rod- 32- is: operated either manually or electromechanical-1y, or as: shown schematically Fig; 1, by means-of air'p'ressure. A-ciilindef 34-is mounted in arnanner not fully shown beneath ta'ble 1. At-the lower end of rod 32- is'pisto'n 35- in cylinder- 34: Air is admitted through conduit 36 selectively on. either side: of the piston. This-causes the desired-up ward or downward movement o'f-rod 32; The-air admission is regulated-mechanically or electro mechanically by valves contained in box 3'! through buttons- 38- arranged on topof: table 1-: After having opened inlet-'valve-39; the operator pressesbuttons 3|; which actuate theair valves and move-rod 32 upward or downward; Strips. |2and l3 are movedout of orinto operative position with respect to a=g;love'mountedon'f0rm 2 as explained in my co-pend-ing; application. Simultaneously, rod 32- acts on spring 33- and moves wedge il upwardordownward? into or? out of operative position Thus; the glove: is. stretched or released and 1 ready to. beremoved? The anchorageof glove for-m2 ontable-l and the connection 1 of rod 32 :for' actuating wedge 34- of: the form a 2 is: shown in an enlarged scale in Fig. 3.

Halfportion 3 is, shown attached to;- table top 40 by-means of screws 5;. Half'portion 4 =is hinged on axis 6. Thespace, betweenhalf portions, 3 and-4 has a trapezoidal cross-section. Theside wall form at-ha-li-portionA'iseincline'diwith re-' spec-t te -the.,vertical-- so) that the space between 3 and 4 gradually; diminishes: whileextending:

upward. Wedge 3| has the shapeshown-iii-Fig;7;

Lever I8 is",

4 it consists of good heat-conducting metal, such as copper, aluminum casting or the like. A recess 4| in wedge 3| serves to receive coupling spring 33. A vertical slide slot 42 for the guide pins 43 and 44 helps to insure accurate alignment of wedge 3| during its upward movement in the space betvv'eri portions 3 and 4.

Fig. 7 shows wedge 3| in operative position; in Fig. 8 Wedge 3| is in inoperative position. In the latter position, because of the action of spring HI, half portion 4 approaches half portion 3 under the urge of spring at (Fig. l); the glove tension released and the glove can be removed from form 2. A

snows in Fig.3 these stretching and releasifig forces are transmitted to wedge 3| by rod 32 thrwgh cqupliiig spring 33. Spring 33 is slipped over bolt 45 and presses at one end against the wan of recess 4|. The head 46 of bolt 45 fits into recess 4'! of rod 32 and is prevented from leaving this TBCSSibY means'of a cap 81which is screwedon rod 32' and covers recess H: The other end of spring 33' presses against the top of cap 48; In thiszw'ay, up and down movements of wedge 31 are made flexible. o

Asshownin Figs. 3. 6, 7 and 8, half portions 3 and 4 each contain an electric heater element 49. The heater wire is insulated by asbestos 66 or similar insulating material because the half por-" tions' 3 and 4 consist ofgoodheat-conducting material which usually is also an electrical conductor. 7

, As shown more clearly in Figs. 6,- '7 and 8; the heater wire 4-9 is positioned irrrecess 50 formed in half portions-3 and d-prespectivelv; The heater. wire iawhen leaving half portions 3 and t at 5| (Fig. i) can be connected in'paral'l'el or in series"; as the case may be; or conducted separately the direction of arrow 52 to a' switch as shown more clearly in Fig; 4-. Wiresiii arepassed on the u-ndersideof'table i into conduitaifandyfrom there;- into switch box- 55-". Switch buttons 55 below table 1' serve to energize the heater cle'-' ments.- Naturallmsif desired; switch buttons 38 above table Land buttons 55* below table" 1' can be combined in a single unit. 7

While'Fig. 4 shows the" wiring above table 1'; Fig.6 shows thearrangenlent of the air control mechanism below the table 1.

In Fig. 5 the cross" lever is again indicated at 2 6-; itis "mounted on-axis 2*1 supported iiibarin gs of anglepieces 56 which are attached to the underside of table 1. Air tubes 5*? and 53 in conduit 36" serve for selective admission (ifair to-either'side'of pistUnI-ZE (Fig? 1). thusopera" ting the up and down movements of rod 32f While I have shown and" describedthe drier it will 'beobvious to those skilled in meme that modifications' and variations to the device are;

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the stationary half portion consists of a vertical finger portion extending into a horizontal flange rigidly attached to the base and wherein the rotary half portion comprises a substantially vertical finger portion, a flange rigidly attached to the base and containing a pivot supporting said rotary finger portion rotatable about a horizontal axis arranged closely to the base, said rotary finger portion having a substantially horizontal extension disposed above and in spaced relation to said second flange, and a spring disposed between the extension and flange for normally urging the fingers toward each other while permitting separation of the fingers against the action of said spring.

3. In a glove smoothing device, a base, a glove form having separable portions projecting from said base, a wedge between said portions, means for mounting one of said portions movable with respect to another on said base, means for moving said wedge to separate said portions gradually, the last mentioned means including a plunger, a spring coupling between the plunger and the wedge, and means for moving said plunger, and at least one heater element in each of the separable portions.

4. In a glove-stretching device, a horizontal base, a glove form vertically projecting therefrom comprising two substantially parallel separable half portions capable when brought together of receiving a glove thereon, means for mounting one of said half portions stationary on said base, means for mounting the other of said half portions rotatably on said base having a horizontal axis of rotation close to the base, the space between the half portions normally having a trapezoidal cross-section, a wedge arranged to be inserted in said space, a vertical plunger for moving said wedge in a vertical direction into said space to separate said half portions gradually, a spring for the wedge having one end connected to the wedge and the other end to said plunger, and

means for driving said plunger in a vertical di rection, said driving means including an air cylinder acting upon said plunger to move it in vertical direction.

5. In a glove-smoothing device, a base, a glove form having separable portions projecting from said base, a wedge between said portions, means for mounting one of said portions movable with respect to another on said base, means for longitudinally moving said wedge with respect to said form to produce a predetermined separation between said portions, said last mentioned means including a plunger, a spring coupling between the plunger and the wedge and means for moving said plunger.

6. In a glove stretching device, a horizontal base, a glove form projecting therefrom and comprising two separable half portions arranged to form a space therebetween when stretching a glove thereon, means for mounting one of said half portions stationary on said base, means for mounting the other of said half portions rotatably on said base, a wedge arranged to be inserted in said space to separate said half portions, a vertical plunger for moving said wedge in a vertical direction into said space to separate said half portions gradually, a spring intermediate the plunger and the wedge forming a flexible coupling therebetween, an air cylinder arranged beneath the base and connected to drive said plunger in a vertical direction when operated.

TEOBALDO G. BOLDIZZONI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 915,465 McBride Mar. 16, 1909 1,048,682 Goltman Dec. 31, 1912 1,805,709 Thoma May 19, 1931 2,426,331 Ziskind Aug. 26, 1947 

